Songs About a Girl
by aNdreaa
Summary: For Annie and her birthday. They met. She was mute. He was smitten. A quaint little story about love and lyrics. SasuSaku. OneShot. AU.


**Songs About a Girl**

**They met. She was mute. He was smitten. A quaint little story about love and lyrics. SasuSaku. OneShot. AU.**

**For Annie. As in Epiff. **

**Happy Birthday, LeBAMF.**

**三**

When Naruto introduced me to Haruno Sakura, I didn't say a word. I couldn't.

She was sitting on the red sofa in her house during her birthday party. Her hand was on the armrest and she was by herself- sometimes smiling at the people who acknowledged her as they walked past. She was wearing a pair of dark skinny jeans, slip-ons, and a hooded sweatshirt that bore the Ninja Turtle insignia on it. Her eyes were green. A lamp hung over her head, making a ring of light on her curtain of pink hair.

I thought she was the prettiest girl I'd ever seen.

Naruto stepped forward and then scooped Sakura up in a big hug. "Happy Birthday, you!" he said, grinning. "Having fun?"

She nodded and then grinned when Naruto put a cone-shaped birthday hat on her head, tucking the rubber string under her chin.

"Hey, I want to introduce you to someone," Naruto said, turning to me. "This is Uchiha Sasuke. He goes to this music college in the next town, but he's visiting for spring break. He's a musician. Thought I'd bring him along since it's his last day, if that's okay? Maybe he can play a couple songs for your party- he brought his guitar."

Sakura nodded again and smiled at me, giving me a small wave.

"Nice to meet you," I said. "Uh, Happy Birthday." I then stuck out a flat envelope- a present, actually. I'd gotten it out of pure tactfulness, but now that I saw her, I wish I'd gotten something more along the lines of a diamond ring.

Sakura looked extremely surprised, but she took the envelope and beamed. She turned to Naruto and then made a series of hand motions, touching her fingers to her forehead in a fluid motion.

I blinked.

Naruto seemed to take it all in stride though because he nodded and then laughed.

"Hey, Sasuke," he said to me, "She said that you didn't have to get her a gift."

"No, it's fine," I blurted out, losing all composure. I was still bewildered, but put two and two together.

Sakura was then stolen away by Ino to mingle with friends. I remained in my position next to the couch.

"Yeah, she's mute," Naruto answered, reading my mind.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I said, frowning. He shrugged.

"Sometimes, it's easy to forget that she's mute because I'm fluent in sign language too, ya know? She's been like that for so long. Plus, she doesn't want anybody pitying her."

Instantly, I felt bad. That was how I was feeling now. I quickly put away that emotion.

"So she can't talk?"

"Nope," Naruto said, putting his hands in his pockets and sighing. "But she can hear."

I glanced behind me at Sakura as she made her way through a crowd, thanking people in sign language as they handed her presents or wished her a happy birthday.

"Was she born like this or—"

"Teasing."

"Teasing?" I said, narrowing my eyes. Sakura didn't seem like the kind of girl who'd be bullied.

"Yup," Naruto said, popping his 'p'. "In sixth grade—"

_Bump._

I stumbled to the side as Sakura came out of nowhere and her shoulder knocked into mine. She turned back and looked at me apologetically, but then whipped back to Naruto, who said, "Sorry! Sorry, Sakura. I know. I forgot. I know, I know."

At that point in time, I couldn't see her face but she was shaking her head and gesturing vigorously with her hands and then I knew that Naruto was about to tell me a story that Sakura didn't want to be told.

But I guess that just made me even more curious about this girl- this girl who couldn't speak, but did once upon a time ago.

**三**

An hour later, the party was at its full hype and that was when I went upstairs. I don't consider myself a very social person- Naruto had begged me to come to this party- but that was just to meet a couple of his close friends and play a few songs for the guests.

I took each step slowly, dragging my guitar behind me (there was no way I was going to leave it downstairs with a bunch of college kids who were carrying cans of beer.) I took my time examining the collage of photos hung on the wall. Sleek, black frames held pictures of Sakura and miscellaneous friends and family. There were a lot with her and Ino and Naruto- more with them, a spiky-haired boy, and a girl with long dark hair. Naruto'd introduced them to me as Shikamaru and Hinata. This group of five seemed repetitive. They'd probably known each other a long time.

I reached the top of the stairs and walked down the hall further- there was an open loft, a laundry room, and a bedroom. Probably Sakura's. The door was open, and I knew I'd probably be abusing the hospitality rules by entering, but I did anyway.

Her walls were covered with more photos of the five. Her parents. A family pet. There were no posters like I'd seen in other people's rooms. No pictures of celebrities that'd been ripped out of fashion magazines or tabloids. Her bed was white and her bookshelf was blue. There was a squishy-looking chair in the corner that was a bright yellow.

Every piece of her furniture was either white or a primary color. And it was all very, very simple.

_Creak._

I jumped as the door opened wider and Sakura's face came into view.

"Oh," I said, caught off guard, "Sorry. I was just…looking. Sorry."

She simply smiled at me and made her way to the bed, gently putting down a pile of presents in her hand. Sorting through them, she held up the one I'd given her.

"Uh, yeah," I said, unsure of how to communicate. "Yeah, it's just a CD. A demo of some stuff I did last semester at school. Naruto told me you like music, so…"

Sakura made a few gestures with her fingers and hands but I shook my head.

"Sorry…I don't understand, um, sign language. I wish I did—"

Sakura patted the pockets of her jeans for a moment and then went to her desk, taking out a piece of paper and searching for a pen. She scribbled something down and then held it out to me.

_Nah, it's okay. What kind of music do you like best?_

As I read her words- her simple, feminine cursive- Sakura opened up my present and put the disc in a CD player.

"Oh, um," I said, still staring at the paper, "I like…acoustic stuff. If that makes any sense. I'm not really into that heavy metal and screaming. Or techno."

She gestured at me to bring the paper back to her and I did. She scribbled something else.

_Hey! Me too! Acoustic is the best!_

At that moment, her CD player thudded and then I heard a tune spill out from its speakers. This was a familiar one- I'd written it months ago.

_This is really, REALLY good. What's it called? _Sakura wrote, handing the paper to me. I read and then let out a short, nervous laugh that probably sounded like a snort. She stared at me in a curious way. Smooth, Sasuke.

"Um, actually, I don't title any of my songs," I confessed.

_None of them?_

"Nope," I said, putting my guitar case down at last. It teetered on its side and then flopped down onto her carpet.

Sakura tapped me on the shoulder quickly and I made the mistake of staring at her face for far too longer than a moment.

Her green eyes were probably six inches from mine and they were wide with enthusiasm. She gestured quickly to my guitar and gently shook my shoulder.

"You…want me to play something?" I guessed, still staring at her face. I'd played a couple of songs downstairs for the party- but it was just a playful tune with Naruto rapping (it was horrible, but funny) and redoes of other famous songs.

_Something that you wrote. Your originals. Please, please, please?_

How could I resist when the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen was begging? Not to mention, it was her birthday.

"I guess I can," I said. I unclasped the buckles on the case and lifted the instrument carefully from its cradle. Acoustic, of course. Acoustic, a bit beat up from years of use, and the classic faded wood.

Sakura clapped her hands and leapt up to pause the CD. Silence permeated the room.

Leaning against her bedpost, I readjusted my sitting position and pressed my thumb to a string. It twanged. Still in tune.

Sakura sat back a foot away from me, leaning against the wall. Her knees were drawn up to her chest and she stared at me attentively.

I started to sing- the song was relatively mellow and quiet with simple chords and lyrics. As I kept my lips moving, with my eyes on the guitar strings, I occasionally glanced up at Sakura. Force of habit this had become.

She had a thoughtful look on her face- as if she was concentrating very hard on what to say. She opened her mouth but then shut it as soon as she caught me looking at her. Blushing slightly, I brought my gaze down to my strumming fingers and ended the chorus.

"Sorry," I muttered.

Sakura crawled over to get the piece of paper that was hanging off of the bed. Her arm stretched out and her long, pink hair brushed against my face. I inhaled. A faint scent of watermelon hit my senses and I cleared my throat quickly as Sakura drew back, now scribbling on the paper.

_Thank you._

As my eyes lingered on these two baffling words that'd been scrawled on the paper Sakura was dangling in front of me, I couldn't speak. It was my turn to go mute.

She nodded, a determined look on her face.

"THERE'S the birthday girl! C'mon, Sakuraaa! Time to blow out the candles!"

Naruto burst in the room, bearing a large white cake that was littered with birthday candles. An entourage of people followed behind him, some already breaking into song. Someone flicked off the lights and in the glow of the small flames being placed in front of Sakura's face, her eyes lit up and she glanced at me.

"Hey, Sasuke! Play Happy Birthday!" Ino called out to me. I complied to be nice- the song was easy enough.

Sakura grinned, tucking a lock of pink hair behind her ear.

I gave her a small smile as the last, "Happy Birthday to you!"s died down and she took a deep breath.

"Make a wish!"

She blew them out and everyone clapped.

**三**

"So, tell me about what happened in sixth grade?"

Naruto popped a cube of gum into his mouth (Bubblelicious. What a child.) and turned the corner.

He was driving me back home- this was hours after Sakura had blown the candles on her birthday cake. We were almost the last ones to leave- only Ino and Hinata were still at the house. I'd said a quick goodbye before leaving, but in reality, I'd wanted to stay. Until morning, at least. Or longer.

I wanted to hear her voice.

"Teasing," Naruto said, continuing his story from before. "Now, don't tell Sakura I'm telling you this or she'll throw a fit."

"I'm not stupid," I deadpanned. "Sixth grade. Teasing. What happened?"

"Middle school was the roughest time for her- kids used to tease her about her forehead and how she was such a brainiac. She was, of course, but everyone else saw it as a form of leprosy rather than admirable intelligence, ya know?"

I nodded. So she was the nerdy kid everyone picked on. There was always one- it wasn't unheard of.

"So during the year, the teasing just progressed more and more. I mean, teachers suspended students and gave them detention for it, but it never really stopped. And Sakura's self esteem just…"

Naruto made a sound with his lips that was like a lid being popped off a bottle and put his thumb down.

"…went down from there."

I stared out the window. A car flew past us.

"Sakura stopped talking after that. Everywhere she went, people just teased her incessantly and it got to her bad. She couldn't defend herself anymore and she just zipped up. Ino transferred in 7th grade and became Sakura's first friend. Then me, Shikamaru, and Hinata met the two of them in high school. We became really good friends- we even took sign language classes with her for the sake of understanding her but Sakura still wasn't able to say a thing. Probably because of old wounds and stuff."

Naruto blew a bubble with his gum and popped it, pressing the brakes of the car and slowing down as we reached a stop light.

"She still gets teased?"

Naruto shrugged. "College kids are a bit nicer, more mature. But, there's always a mean person out there. A couple of kids who were in middle school with her ended up at the same college. They try to tease, but it's died down a _lot_ since sixth grade. She's doing better."

"But still not talking."

"Hey," he said, frowning. "She's getting there, okay?"

I grew silent, not wanting to pick a fight over a sensitive subject.

"Why do you care so much anyway?" Naruto asked.

When I didn't answer, Naruto stared at me, a calculating look on his face. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and looked out the window at the passing cars.

"Keep your eyes on the road," I muttered.

**三**

I didn't see Sakura for another nine months. It was Winter Break for all college kids and once again, I made a trek back to Konoha to visit Naruto.

But what I really was looking forward to was Sakura. Seeing her again. For Christmas.

Because this time, I had a song.

And it had a title.

"Man, would it kill you to wear more festive colors?" Naruto said, tying a Santa-patterned tie around the collar of his red shirt. He seriously needed some kind of fashion lesson- even I didn't dress that heinously.

I stared down at my white oxford and black slacks. No need to go all out with the festivity- it was just a Christmas party.

"Maybe," I said, smirking.

"Come on," Naruto said, artfully ruffling his hair. "I'm picking up Hinata too."

"You guys going out?" I asked, buttoning the cuffs of my shirt and heading out the door. Naruto shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm thinking of asking her out tonight. She's awfully cute, isn't she?"

"I don't really have an opinion," I said, my mind drifting from the subject. "So, how is everybody?"

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, opening the door of his car. I slid in the backseat- no doubt Naruto wanted Hinata to ride shotgun.

"You know," I said, trying to keep it casual, "Ino. Shikamaru. How are they?"

"Nothing's changed much. It's only been a few months. Shikamaru got a little less lazy, though."

"And Sakura?" I said, hopefully still in the same, light tone. Naruto caught me anyway. Raising an eyebrow slightly, he stared at me through the rear-view mirror.

"Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering," I covered up, buckling my seatbelt. We zoomed down the street.

Naruto fell silent for a moment, and then answered my question.

"…she cut her hair."

I blinked, frowning. Her hair had been pretty long- at least it was when I'd met her.

"How short?"

"Eh. Cropped it below her chin. It looks good."

"Hn."

Naruto nodded, absently drumming his fingers against the steering wheel.

**三**

We pulled in front of Sakura's house twenty minutes later. Naruto escorted Hinata inside first and I entered after them, clutching the shoulder strap of my guitar case. Holly and lights decorated the house to make it look like an explosive Christmas card; it took me a while to blink in the sudden brightness.

"Hey, man!" Ino said to me, punching me in the arm as she closed the door behind me. "Long time, no see!"

"Yeah," I said, wincing slightly. Shikamaru acknowledged me with a nod as did other guests in the house who probably didn't know who I was or forgot my name from the last time I'd come. I couldn't blame them. 8 months was a long time.

"Sakura! Merry Christmas!" Hinata chirped as a familiar face swam into view. My mouth went dry.

Naruto was right. Her hair now hung right below her chin and she'd gotten bangs. It'd been pinned back with a holly clip.

I still thought she was the prettiest girl I'd ever seen.

Sakura spotted me and smiled, giving me a salute-like gesture that meant hello. (Alright, I did brush up a little bit on my sign language.)

"Hey," I said, swallowing.

**三**

It was right in the middle of the Christmas cake.

I'd managed to somehow (luckily) land the spot next to her at the table but that only made me hyper-aware of her presence. I spent about half the dinner making sure my knee didn't bump into hers and my elbow was at least two inches from her personal space. It wasn't something I wanted to invade.

But like I said, it was right in the middle of the Christmas cake where she noticed I'd been clenching my left fist for quite some time (eight minutes and thirty two tense freakin' seconds) and she put a hand on it to stop the shaking.

I choked.

The table stopped its chatter and stared at me.

"Dude, you need the Heimlich?" Naruto asked me, jabbing his fork in my direction.

"No," I rasped out, clearing my throat. "No. Sorry. I'm good."

Smooth, Sasuke. Really smooth.

"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto said, standing up. "You want to do your present now?"

Everyone looked at me interestedly. "Present?"

Sakura blinked and cocked her head.

"Sasuke's got something special planned," Naruto grinned, flipping out his cell phone. "For Sakura- it's great."

"Idiot," I hissed, "Not _now_." Especially not now! Everyone was watching!

"Ah, live it up," Naruto hiccupped. He dialed a number and then pressed the phone to his ear. "Hey, Ino! Flip the radio to 104."

I jumped out of my chair, but Ino got there first. And then, a series of things happened very, very quickly.

Naruto shouted, "I GOT THROUGH!" into his phone- a voice that echoed through the speakers of the radio Ino had safe in her arms.

"Hello! Lucky caller, who is this?"

"NARUTO!"

"Okay, Naruto. It's almost Christmas- a time to spend with your friends, loved ones—"

"LOVED ONES!" Naruto shouted, as if on some quiz show.

"Oookay, boy. Any special requests you'd like to make?"

"Yeah!" Naruto said, shooting me an evil look. "I'd like to request a song."

"Alright, shoot it. We'll play it right now. What's it called?"

The table went quiet. Sakura stood up, a strange expression on her face. And then Naruto spoke.

"Songs About a Girl," Naruto said, loud and clear. "By Uchiha Sasuke."

Sakura's hands flew to her mouth and she whipped around to stare at me. She was in complete, utter shock. So was the rest of the table.

"Aw, MAN! You got a song…on the radio?!" some said.

I had. Music school was treating me well. It was only a single, but still. It was a song.

It had a title.

And it was for her.

Sakura rushed toward the radio and listened closely, gazing at it intently as a quiet guitar tune plucked up. Ino waved at everyone to hush and everyone gathered around the tiny machine.

Embarrassed, I pressed a hand to my forehead (which was burning in mortification) and listened as my voice started up.

_The girl I met just once before_

_Had a simple smile_

_A white bedroom door_

_With hair the color of a carnation_

Sakura lowered her hands from her mouth and clasped them together. She was listening.

_I wish I could be one of those guys_

_Who wrote songs about a girl_

"That's your title!" Naruto whispered, interrupting. Ino whacked him to shut up.

_Who changed their life in some kind of way_

_And had pretty eyes or saved the world_

_Because Sakura_

_A voiceless wonder_

_Sakura_

_Here's to you_

Everyone beamed at me. The entire dining room now knew about my crush. Great.

_I spent months just contemplating_

_On exactly what I'd say_

_And I decided I'd play this song_

_I'd wait until the day_

_That I'd meet you in this place_

_To just see your pretty face_

Sakura's cheeks were flushed. Her eyes were glassy and she was biting her lip and staring at the radio, probably wondering if this was real.

_Because Sakura_

_An unspoken tale_

_Sakura_

_Here's to you_

_Here's to you_

The song ended and Ino shut the radio off. The room broke into applause.

"Nice, man," Naruto grinned, high-fiving me. I returned it half-heartedly.

Raising an outstretched hand, Sakura touched her fingers to her lips and then extended it toward me.

I blinked.

She was saying thank you.

**三**

I buttoned up my coat, getting ready to leave. I was still very much embarrassed by Naruto's spontaneous antics. I'd meant to perform it privately with only Sakura as my audience, but I suppose the whole radio calling thing was _sort _of cool.

I felt a tug on my sleeve and turned to find Sakura smiling hesitantly at me.

I wanted her to say something. Anything.

She blew a strand of hair out of her face and took a deep breath.

And for the first time in almost 9 years, she opened her mouth to speak.

"Thank you," she whispered.

It was so soft that I thought I was hearing things. But she spoke. She'd spoken at last. Her voice was dainty and clear; it sounded like a stream of water.

My eyes grew wide and I gulped.

"Y-You…"

"Thank you," she repeated. She made a funny sound that was between a sob and a laugh, and then touched her fingers to her lips as if she was feeling herself talk for the first time. "Thank you so much, Sasuke."

My name had never sounded so good.

"You know," I said, speaking in a rush, "You can take it easy. You don't have to talk a lot, but you've got a lot of good friends now. Don't be afraid to say something. We'll back you up. Always."

She nodded, beaming at me. "Yeah."

We stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do next. Abruptly, she jumped forward and her arms were around my neck, hugging me tightly.

I smelled the faint watermelon again.

Only this time, I took in a long, deep breath to savor it.

**三**

**First dramatic (ish) OneShot. Liek whoa.**

**Dood. I'm posting this at 6 in the mornin'. Woke up earlyyyyyyyyy. OO**

**I made up the lyrics. The tune is vague in my head, but I know the guitar would sound acoustic- like Hey There Delilah by Plain White T's. Wikipedia the background story on Hey There Delilah and you'll understand where my inspiration came from. And Ariel from The Little Mermaid made me want to write a fic about the voiceless. Thus, Sakura! Yay.**

**Happy Birthday again, Annie! Poopy.**


End file.
